A ghost from the past
by BenquashaFraser
Summary: Todd Anderson is 63 years old and living in Jersey. There he meets a man who reminds him of his friend from Hellton. Definately AU. Crossover with House MD. Unlikely to be finished I've no longer got any way of watching the movie.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'em. I'm not making any money. :P

This is a cross-over between the film Dead Poets Society and the TV series House MD

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**The lies our parents tell us**

Todd Anderson sits in the waiting room of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. He is 63 years old and has lived every day of his adult life to its fullest. He is sitting in PPTH waiting to meet Dr. James Wilson, Head of Oncology. No, he doesn't have cancer, merely a bad cold that he hasn't been able to shake. It is making him feel older than he really is. He knows he is waiting to see Dr. Wilson because the nurse told him he will be the Dr's next patient. He knows that Dr. Wilson is Head of Oncology because he heard some people talk about him. A nurse comes up to him and tells him that Dr. Wilson will meet him in exam room 1 now.

Todd walks into the exam room; the doctor has his back to him. There is something oddly familiar about the man. Todd sits down before the doctor turns around and he is soon glad that he did because when Dr. Wilson turns around he finds that breathing has become a difficulty. When the initial shock begins to wear off he whispers hoarsely.

"Neil?" He knows it isn't but he can't help himself. The man in front of him looks so much like the friend he lost so long ago. James Wilson is older than his friend was when he died but younger than he would have been were he alive today. Todd feels the tears start to fall as he is forced to relive the moment he found out that Neil had died. He wipes them away, almost angrily. His breathing is staggered as he keeps holding his breath in an attempt to quash the overwhelming emotions which are threatening to explode. He swallows hard to clear his throat of the lump that has formed there. All the time he is just staring at the man before him.

James Wilson is startled by his patient's reaction to him. He is quite sure that he has never met Mr. Anderson before and yet the man looks as if he has seen a ghost. He reminds himself that if House were to walk in he would never hear the end of it. He knows that Greg will accuse him of moonlighting as a ghost or something equally stupid and would spread the rumour around the whole hospital. He puts a hand on his patient's shoulder in an attempt to bring him back to the present. He is taken aback by the pain in Mr. Anderson's eyes as he begins to talk.

"Why?"

"Why what?" Wilson asks softly.

"I needed you. You made me feel like it was ok to be me." Wilson isn't sure what Mr. Anderson is talking about but he senses that something bad happened in his patient's past and that he reminded the old man of it. He sat next to the weeping man and put an arm around his shoulders to comfort him. Todd Anderson went on. "The Dead Poets Society was a family and you were our spirit. Carpe Diem, Neil. You died because you couldn't bear to face the future your father had planned for you. Part of my soul died with you because it couldn't bear to face any future without you." Wilson feels Mr. Anderson shift to look at him and moves his arm from around the man's shoulders until his hand is gripping his upper arm.

Todd looks at the doctor and for the first time he sees Dr. James Wilson and not his friend, Neil Perry. He sighs and looks at the floor.

"You look just like him Dr. Wilson."

"Who was Neil, Mr. Anderson?"

"Todd. Please call me Todd. My father was Mr Anderson, so was my brother. Neil Perry was my greatest friend. I only knew him for a short while and yet I know I am the man I am today because of him. He was so passionate about life. He truly believed in seizing the day. Neil's father wanted him to become a doctor but Neil only truly felt alive when he acted. He risked everything to show his father his dream. He risked everything so he could seize the day. He risked everything and he lost it all. He committed suicide the Christmas before he turned 18." Todd pulls out a photo and hands it face down to Wilson.

Wilson takes the photo, on the back the words 'Neil with his parents outside Hell-ton 1957' are inscribed. Wilson's eyes are fist drawn to the young man who looks exactly as he did 20 years ago. He had been expecting a mirror image of himself after Todd's reaction so it wasn't that what had him shocked.

"Oh my," is all he can think to say as he stares at a picture of his parents when they were 48 years younger. That's why his parents allowed him not to go to Welton he realises.

"I told you. You look just like him." Wilson looks up at the sound of Todd's voice.

"It's not my resemblance to him that startled me. It's… well… his parents." Wilson shakes his head. He tells himself to get back on task and hands back the photo. "Anyway. Mr. Anderson. Umm… Todd. What brings you to the clinic of PPTH today?"

Todd knows that the doctor isn't going to elaborate as to what about Neil's parents shocked him so he went back to why he had come to the hospital in the forst place. "I've had a bad cold for a few weeks now. At my age the body just doesn't seem to fight illnesses as well as it used to."

"Ok. Well I'll give you a prescription for some anti-biotics. If they don't help come back and see me this time next week. Wilson quickly scribbled down a prescription and handed it to Todd.

The two men parted company. Todd Anderson headed to the local park, where he could sit and think about his friend from so long ago. James Wilson went to his office to phone his parents and ask about the brother he never met.

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Read and Review people. If you want me to continue then review and say so. If you don't want me to continue then don't review. Or review, and tell me that it sucked and not to bother writing any more for it. Majority wins. 


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